Yielding bowl locking ring for crushers



Sept. 13, 1966 A. HESSE 3,272,446

YIELDING BOWL LOCKING RING FOR CRUSHERS Filed April 1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VE NTOR.

Sept. 13, 1966 A. HESSE 3,272,446

YIELDING BOWL LOCKING RING FOR CRUSHERS Filed April 1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m: /ia 5 z I r- 11 I I 1 i I I2 fi-* 4 6 g 9 l l| 7 f if Fl i I l INVENTOR. 4a /fil/j /!/4 4 1%/%# f/zrv Sept. 13, 1966 A. HESSE 3,272,446

YIELDING BOWL LOCKING RING FOR CRUSHERS Filed April 1. 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,272,446 YIELDING BOWL LOCKING RING FOR CRUSHERS Adolf Hesse, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Nordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 447,601 15 Claims. (Cl. 241215) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 324,220, filed November 18, 1963, and now abandoned.

The invention relates to an improvement in gyratory crushers, and has for one purpose to provide means for applying fluid pressure to the adjustment of crushing members.

Another purpose is to provide means for applying by fluid pressure a lift to one crushing member, whereby to increase the clearance between crushing members in the event of jamming or stoppage.

Another purpose is to provide fluid pressure means for restraining a crushing member against unintended movement while permitting its release for adjustment, as by its rotation in relation to a supporting member.

Another purpose is to provide fluid pressure means to prevent axial movement of the bowl and bowl supporting means relative to each other during crushing operations.

Another purpose is to provide fluid pressure means to eliminate impact damage to the threads of the supporting and crushing members during crushing operations.

Another purpose is to provide means to prevent rotation of the crushing member locking means while permitting vertical adjustment of said locking means.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical axial section with parts broken away and parts in elevation, illustrating a typical application of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial vertical axial section on an enlarged scale of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial vertical axial section illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a partial vertical axial section illustrating still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic view illustrating a modified embodiment of the fluid pressure system of the invention.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, it illustrates a gyratory crusher with a conic gyrated head. Referring to the specific parts, 1 is a circumferential frame having a bottom flange 2 resting on any suitable base 3. At its upper edge is the outwardly extended flange 4 having an upwardly and outwardly conic inner face 5, a plain upper face 6, and an upwardly and inwardly conic outer face 7. Resting upon the flange 4 is a bowl supporting or adjusting ring 8 which is formed on its lower side to conform generally to the surfaces of the frame flange 4. It is shown as having an upper inwardly located extension 9 which is formed with a plurality of inwardly extending screw threads 10. In screw threaded relation with the threads 10 is a bowl member generally indicated as 11 and having an outer upwardly extending outwardly screw threaded circumferential wall 12. It will be understood that the bowl 11 may be adjusted within the bowl supporting or adjustment ring 8 by being rotated therein. No specific means for such rotation are shown since the rotating means do not of themselves form part of the present invention. The rotation may be effected by any suitable means, such for example as cables and cable drums, or by thrust cylinders and pistons operating between the ring 8 and the sleeve 12. The crushing cavity illustrated at X is outwardly defined by a bowl 14 which may be suitably and removedly secured to an inner bowl element 15 secured to or forming part of the bowl structure 11. It will be understood that during the normal use of the device the bowl 11 and the bowl liner 14 are at rest, the crushing effect being obtained by the gyration therewithin of a suitable head herein indicated as generally conic. The head 20, which may include a removable outer mantle, is mounted on a shaft 21. This shaft extends downwardly into an eccentric aperture 22 in the sleeve 23. Secured to or formed with the upper end of the sleeve is a gear 24 in mesh with a pinion 25 on a shaft 26 mounted in any suitable bearing, and rotated by power means not herein shown. It will be understood that as the shaft 26 is rotated the sleeve 23 is likewise rotated. As it rotates, it moves the crusher shaft 21 eecentrically about the axis of the sleeve 23. The parts are so proportioned that the axis of the sleeve and the axis of the shaft converge at the point indicated at Y in FIGURE 1. The effect of the rotation is to gyrate the head 20 in relation to the point Y and to carry a wave of approach of head to bowl continuously about the crushing cavity X. The material is crushed by the approach or crushing nip indicated at the left of FIGURE 1, and is permitted to escape by gravity through the side or release opening indicated at the right side of FIGURE 1. The material to be crushed is fed through any suitable downspout 30 to distributing or feed limiting plate 31 which is mounted on and gyrates which the head.

Referring for example to FIGURE 2 as well as to FIGURE 1, the lock ring 35 functions to lift the sleeve 12 a sufficient distance to eliminate clearance between the lower inclined surfaces of the threads 10 of the bowl supporting ring 8 and the upper inclined surfaces of the threads 12a of the sleeve. The elimination of clearance between these surfaces limits relative axial. movement of these parts during crushing operations, and thereby reduces the possibility of impact damage to these threads due to movement of the sleeve as a result of upward forces transmitted against the sleeve by the crushing action of the head 20 and the bowl liner 14.

Also, the sleeve 12 is normally restrained against rotation in relation to the bowl ring 8 by a lock ring 35. This ring is provided with screw threads 36 meshing with the threads of the sleeve 12. As will be clear from FIGURE 2, the abutting faces of the two sets of threads may be generally horizontal. As long as the teeth of the ring 35 are thrust upwardly against the lower plane surfaces of the teeth 12a of the sleeve 12, rotation of bowl is restrained.

It has been found convenient to employ a fluid system for maintaining the parts in the position in which they are shown in FIGURE 2. This may, for example, be a circumferential tube or group of tubes illustrated at 40 and mounted in a recess or recesses 41 of the ring 35. The tube structure may be of rubber or a suitable rubber substitute and, when the parts are to be held in locked position, it is inflated from a suitable source of fluid pressure. It is understood that air or other suitable gas or any suitable liquid may be employed, and that any suitable means for maintaining a constant fluid pressure such as a pump of the type shown in FIGURE 5 may be employed. It is within the frame of my invention either to employ a single tube 40 or to divide it into a plurality of individual tubular sections, all preferably being connected to a common source of fluid pressure. An arrangement utilizing three individual tubular sections 40 connected to a com- 3 mon source of fluid pressure such as a pump 65 is shown schematically in FIG. 5.

A constant head of pressure should be maintained and this head of pressure forces the ring 35 upwardly somewhat away from the bottom plate 8a of the ring 8. On the other hand when the pressure is released, the weight of the bowl 12 on the ring 35 causes it to drop down upon the ring 8a, thus freeing the sleeve 12 for rotation by whatever rotating means are employed.

To secure the locking ring 35 against rotation relative to the supporting ring 8 and yet allow for vertical relative movement between these parts to permit the hydraulic means to raise the locking ring, a plurality of retaining pins 61 are provided to key the locking ring to the supporting ring. The retaining pins seat in holes 62 in the ring 8, and extend into openings 63 in the locking ring. The locking ring can be secured against rotation relative to the supporting ring by aligning the locking ring openings with the supporting ring holes and inserting the re taining pins through the openings and into the holes. A typical arrangement of the retaining pins is shown in FIG- URE in which three pins each spaced 120 apart are used. Other numbers and spacings of the pins can be utilized, and the invention is not limited to any particular number or arrangement. However, the arrangement of pins shown in FIGURE 5 in which the number of pins equals the number of tubular sections 40 is advantageous because the pins are located between the tubular sections and the insertion of the pins into the openings and holes is facilitated.

I find it also practical to employ preferably a common source of fluid pressure to operate what is in effect a lifting tube or jack between the ring 8 and the frame flange 4. It will be understood that any suitable means are employed to hold the ring 8 normally downwardly against the flange 4. I illustrate, for example, in FIGURE 1 a plurality of springs 50 which are compressed between any suitable upward abutment 51 beneath the flange 4 and any suitable lower abutment 52 which may be connected to or spaced from the ring 8 by suitable members such as the bolts 53. Under normal circumstances and at normal pressures the ring 8 acts as if it were solidary with the frame flange 4 and the bowl liner 14 therefore maintains its normally fixed position. However, as the head rotates there arise at times conditions which cause a lifting of the bowl structure against the effect of the springs 50. A mass of uncrushable material may enter the crushing cavity, or an uncrushable member such as a piece of socalled tramp iron may enter the crushing cavity. In that event either the ring 8 lifts, to permit the material to pass or, in extreme cases the crusher stalls. When the crusher does stall, it may be necessary to lift the ring 8 upwardly away from the frame. I find it practical to employ a normally deflated flexible member or members, as shown at 60, which may be located in the recess 4a of the flange 4 at the top of the frame. This structure is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Normally the source of pressure which may maintain a tube or tube 40 inflated is so valved as not to communicate with the interior of the tube 60. It will be understood, of course, that a plurality of such tubes may be employed, arranged as segments about the frame flange 4. Where a plurality is employed pressure may be admitted to some or all of these segments simultaneously in order to elevate the ring 8 and raise the bowl structure. A far greater pressure is necessary than for the operation of the tubes 40, since a lift against a large number of powerful springs 50 is involved. However, enough pressure may be applied in order to inflate the tube or tubes 60 of rubber or a suitable rubber substitute, thus in effect obtaining the lifting operation of a jack. The ring 8 and the bowl are bodily lifted upwardly from the frame and it then becomes easy to free the crushing cavity of the uncrushable material.

It will be understood that either of the above described features may be employed separately, or that they may be employed together, as in FIGURE 3. Where they are employed together suitable valving is provided for deflating the tube or tubes 40 when it is desired to release the locking ring 35. Likewise other valving is employed to inflate the tube or tubes 60 when a lifting action is desired.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative, and diagrammatical, rather than as limiting me to the precise details of my showing.

For example, whereas I have shown a single tube 60 in FIGURE 3, it will be understood that this tube may either extend completely around the device or may be made in a plurality of segments, preferably connected to a single source of pressure, as is shown in FIGURE 5. Likewise, it may be, under some circumstances, advantageous to arrange two tubes or two sets of segments concentrically about the machine. In that event I would employ two of the tubes or segment sets 40, arranged side by side on the plate 8a, one nearer than the other to the axis of the machine. Likewise, I may employ two tubes or sets of segments 60, one nearer to and the other farther from the axis of the machine, the flange 4 being suitably apertured as at 4a to receive such a multiple tube structure. A construction utilizing two tubes or two sets of segments concentrically about the machine is shown in FIGURE 4. The use of pairs of tubes provides greater contact area between the tubes and the parts of the machine, and is particularly advantageous when the amount of fluid pressure that can be utilized in the tubes is limited.

To summarize my invention, I find it practical toemploy an inflattable tube system under various circumstances in which it is important to exercise a thrust in general parallelism with the axis of the crusher. The tube 60 of FIGURE 3 is an example of means to exercise a thrust upwardly against the ring 8, when it is desired to increase the clearance in the crushing cavity, as in connection with freeing a stalled crusher. The tube 40 indicates an example of means for exerting an upward thrust of the screw threads of the bowl element 12 against the screw threads of the ring 8, whereby to restrain unintended rotation of the bowl 12, and to eliminate clearance between the threads of the supporting ring and the bowl to prevent axial movement between these parts during crushing operations.

The use and operation of the invention are as as fol lows:

With the provision of a suitable source of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure, I find it convenient and effective to apply such a source, in a gyratory crusher of the type herein shown, to perform one or another, or both, of two operations. Where hard materials are being crushed it may be importaant to make frequent adjustments of the bowl. Since these adjustments may be made by rotating the bowl sleeve 12 within the bowl supporting ring 8, I find it practical and eflicient to restrain the two parts against relative rotation by the use of the locking ring 35 which is pneumatically or hydraulically kept in a restraining position. In the relatively short periods between adjustment there is a minimum loss of pressure which can easily be maintained by any suitable pressure source such as a motor-driven compressor.

The locking ring 35 also functions in its locking or restraining position to raise the sleeve 12 relative to the supporting ring 8. This brings the upper inclined surfaces of the sleeve threads into firm contact with the lower inclined surfaces of the threads of the supporting ring 8, and thereby eliminates thread clearance and axial movement of these parts relative to each other during crushing operations due to upward forces exerted on the sleeve.

A less frequently performed operation is that of lifting the ring 8, and the bowl, to free the crushing cavity X from uncrushable material. This I find to be practically done by the use of one or more tubes or segments 60. These are normally left uninflated, the channel 4a of FIGURE 3 being ample to permit the tube or tubes 60 to lie in their relatively flat or deflated position. However, when it is desired to lift the ring 8 then the operator uses suitable valving to connect the tube or tubes 60 with the hydraulic or pneumatic pressure sources. A relatively small period may be involved and the relatively large pressure employed need be maintained only for relatively short periods of time.

I claim:

1. In combination with a cone crusher having a circumferential frame, a bowl on said frame and a head and means for gyrating the head within the bowl, means for exerting pressure on crusher parts between the frame and the bowl including at least one tubular member of rubber or a suitable rubber substitute interposed between parts of the crusher, and means for supplying fluid pressure to the interior of such member and for thereby exerting pressure against crusher parts located between the frame and the bowl.

2. The structure of claim 1, characterized and including a bowl supporting ring movably mounted on the frame, means for normally holding such ring, and thus the bowl, in substantially fixed relation to the frame, means for lifting the bowl from the frame including at least one inflatable flexible element interposed between bowl ring and frame, and means for inflating said element.

3. The structure of claim 1, characterized by and including a bowl supporting ring on the frame and a bowl in screw threaded relationship with the ring, said bowl being formed and adapted to be rotated relative to the ring and thereby adjusted in relation thereto, and means for preventing unintended rotation, including a locking ring in screw threaded relation with the bowl and means for urging the locking ring into locking engagement with the threads of the bowl, including at least one inflatable flexible element interposed between the locking ring and the bowl supporting ring, and means for inflating said element.

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that said locking ring is formed and adapted to lift said bowl into engagement with said bowl supporting ring when the locking ring is in a position of locking engagement with the threads of the bowl.

5. The structure of claim 4 further charatcerized in that said bowl has upper inclined threads which contact lower inclined threads of said bowl supporting ring when the bowl and the bowl supporting ring are in engagement.

6. The structure of claim 3 further characterized by and including means to restrain rotation of said locking ring while permitting vertical movement thereof.

7. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that said restraining means include pins extending vertically through said ring and seated in said bowl supporting rmg.

8. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that a plurality of tubular members are provided and the tubular members include elements arranged generally side by side and at different distances from the axis of the crusher.

9. In combination With a cone crusher having a circumferential frame and an adjustment ring seated on the frame, means for elevating the adjusting ring in relation to the frame flange which includes a normally deflated member extending circumferentially about the crusher therebetween, and means for inflating such member.

10. The structure of claim 9 characterized by the provision of a plurality of normally deflated members arranged side by side at different distances from the axis of the crusher.

11. In combination with a cone crusher having a cir cumferential frame, a bowl on said frame, and a head, and means for gyrating the head within the bowl, said bowl having exterior screw threads, a ring with interior screw threads being mounted on the bowl, the bowl being adjustable within said ring in response to its rotation in the ring, and means for applying pressure between said inner and outer threads and for thereby locking the bowl against unintended movement, including at least one tubular member of rubber or a suitable rubber substitute interposed between parts of the crusher, and means for supplying fluid pressure to the interior of such member and for thereby imparting pressure in a direction generally parallel with the axis of the crusher whereby to urge one of said thread systems agains the other.

12. In combination with a crusher having a circumferential frame and a bowl in screw-threaded relation thereto, means for directing an upward thrust against the bowl and for thereby locking its screw-threads to prevent unintended rotation of the bowl, said means including an inflatable member intermediate the frame and the bowl, and means for inflating it.

13. The structure of claim 12 characterized in that the means for directing the upward thrust against the bowl include a screw-threaded locking ring in mesh with the screw-threads of the bowl, the inflatable member being interposed between the locking ring and the frame.

14. The structure of claim 13 further characterized in that the screw threads of said frame and bowl are formed and adapted to firmly contact each other upon the direction of upward thrust against said bowl.

15. In combination with a cone crusher having a circumferential frame, a bowl, a head, means for gyrating the head within the bowl, a bowl supporting ring on the frame, said bowl being in screw threaded relationship with said supporting ring and adapted to be rotated for adjustment relative to said ring, means for restraining unintentional rotation of said bowl including a locking ring adapted to be urged axially relative to said bowl supporting ring and upon movement to move the threads of said bowl into engagement with the threads of said bowl supporting ring, means for urging the locking ring axially including at least one inflatable flexible element, and means for inflating said flexible element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,009,660 11/1961 Symons 24l-32 3,140,835 7/1964 Balmer 241-286 3,162,387 12/1964 Symons 241-290 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,972,448 2/1961 Dorsey. 3,133,708 5/1964 Bond et al. 3,140,834 7/1964 Symons.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

LESTER M. SWINGL-E, Examiner.

D. G. KELLY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CONE CRUSHER HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL FRAME, A BOWL ON SAID FRAME AND A HEAD AND MEANS FOR GYRATING THE HEAD WITHIN THE BOWL, MEANS FOR EXERTING PRESSURE ON CRUSHER PARTS BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE BOWL INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE TUBULAR MEMBER OF RUBBER OR A SUITABLE RUBBER SUBSTITUTE INTERPOSED BETWEEN PARTS OF THE CRUSHER, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID PRESSURE TO THE INTERIOR OR SUCH MEMBER AND FOR THEREBY EXERTING PRESSURE AGAINST CRUSHER PARTS LOCATED BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE BOWL. 